I checked into the hotel on Friday the 27th of Jan - the smoke alarm in the room went off and wouldn't stop; I was then assigned another room; I left for Savannah the next morning (river); was told by the receptionist that I could keep the same room instead of going back to the initial room assignment; came back from the river put the key into the door didn't work; went to the front desk and was given another key to the same room; opened the door and lo and behold someone else was in the room; back to the reception desk; I was told that I checked out really now I paid for two nights; after some words with the clerk I was assigned another room; checkout time - good thing I went back to the reception desk because guess what I was told that I owed for the room and there was a message that I declined to pay this charge and someone I guess the invisible manager Mike something kept trying to phone me - finally after about a half hour the clerk who was munching on an apple while trying to settle this problem finally cleared it with someone that I would not be charged for the room - guess they got the message when I showed them a confirmation sheet that I paid for two nights - the whole experience was the most pitiful thing I've ever experienced and I will definitely never stay at a Howard Johnson express - I've told people about my experience and they can't believe that this actually happened - never again -